Clutch for a rotary drive device

ABSTRACT

A clutch for a rotary drive device includes a rotary plate synchronously rotated with a sun gear of a planetary gear set, at least one pawl pivotally mounted onto the rotary plate, an engaging ring sleeved on the rotary plate and surrounding the at least one pawl, and a drive plate co-axially and rotatably mounted onto the rotary plate and abutting against the engaging ring. The planetary gear set is repeatedly operated and the pawls is automatically engaged to/disengaged from the drive plate for reducing noise during operating and lengthening the use life of the clutch for a rotary drive device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a clutch, and more particularly to a clutch for a rotary drive device.

2. Description of Related Art

A conventional centrifugal water separator for mop in accordance with the prior art use an intermittent driving method and a one-way clutch bearing to rotationally driving the centrifugal water separator for separating water from the mop. However, the one-way clutch bearing may lose the function of driving due to water or dust. Water causes the one-way clutch bearing oxidized and wedged, and the dust make the one-way clutch bearing worn-out and losing engaging function.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional drive method of a centrifugal water separator for mop.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide an improved clutch for a rotary drive device.

To achieve the objective, the clutch in accordance with the present invention comprises a rotary plate adapted to be synchronously rotated with a sun gear of a planetary gear set and at least one pawl pivotally mounted onto the rotary plate. An engaging ring is sleeved on the rotary plate and surrounds the at least one pawl. A drive plate is co-axially and rotatably mounted onto the rotary plate and abuts against the engaging ring. The drive plate is adapted to drive an output structure when being rotated. A casing is provided for receiving the rotary plate, the at least one pawl, the engaging ring and the drive plate, wherein a friction force is formed between the engaging ring and the inner periphery of the casing. The rotary plate is rotated with the sun gear when the planetary gear set is driven and the pawl is outwardly wiggled to engage and drive the drive plate due to the centrifugal force from the rotating rotary plate. The rotary plate is stopped, the engaging ring continually rotated relative to the rotary plate due to the inertia thereof and the continually rotating engaging ring inwardly pokes the at least one pawl to make the at least one pawl disengaged from the drive plate.

The planetary gear set is repeatedly operated and the pawls is automatically engaged to/disengaged from the drive plate for reducing noise during operating and lengthening the use life of the clutch for a rotary drive device.

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clutch for a rotary drive device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the clutch for a rotary drive device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a first operational view of the clutch for a rotary drive device in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a second operational view of the clutch for a rotary drive device in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a clutch for a rotary drive device in accordance with the present invention comprises a rotary plate (10) synchronously rotated with a sun gear (101) of a planetary gear set (100), at least one pawl (20) pivotally mounted onto the rotary plate (10), an engaging ring (30) sleeved on the rotary plate (10) and surrounding the at least one pawl (20), and a drive plate (40) co-axially and rotatably mounted onto the rotary plate (10) and abutting against the engaging ring (30). The rotary plate (10) is rotated with the sun gear (101) when the planetary gear set (100) is driven and the pawl (20) is outwardly wiggled to engage and drive the drive plate (40) due to the centrifugal force from the rotating rotary plate (10). The rotating drive plate (40) is provided to drive an output structure (50). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the output structure (50) is a shaft that centrally extends through the drive plate (40) and radially engaged to the drive plate (40). The rotary plate (10) is stopped and the engaging ring (30) continually rotated relative to the rotary plate (10) due to the inertia thereof. The continually rotating engaging ring (30) inwardly pokes the at least one pawl (20) to make the at least one pawl (20) disengaged from the drive plate (40).

The rotary plate (10) includes at least one pivot seat (11) longitudinally extending therefrom. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotary plate (10) has three pivot seats (11) extending therefrom and each having a corresponding pawl (20) mounted thereon for accurately driving the drive plate (40). The pivot seat (11) has a hole (111) longitudinally defined in a first thereof and a stopper (112) longitudinally extending from a second end thereof. The hole (111) and the stopper (112) are arranged relative tot a rotating direction of the rotary plate (10). Multiple first stubs (12) and second stubs (13) longitudinally extending from the rotary plate (10), wherein each first stub (12) relates to a corresponding one of the holes (11) and each second stub (13) relates to a corresponding one of the stoppers (112).

The pawl (20) has a pivot (21) and a raised stub (22) respectively longitudinally extending from two opposite ends of a bottom of the pawl (20), wherein each pivot (21) is pivotally received in a corresponding one of the holes (111). The pawl (20) is selectively wiggled due to the centrifugal force from the rotating rotary plate (10).

The clutch in accordance with the present invention further comprises a casing (60) for containing the rotary plate (10), the pawls (20), the engaging ring (30) and the drive plate (40). The engaging ring (30) is selectively rotated relative to the rotary plate (10) due to a friction force between the engaging ring (30) and the inter periphery of the casing (60). The engaging ring (30) has at least one protrusion (31) inwardly extending from an inner periphery thereof. The quantity of the protrusion (31) is equal to that of the pawl (20) and the protrusion (31) is moved between the first stub (12) and the second stub (13) to inwardly push the pawl (20) and make the pawl abut the stopper (112). Accordingly, the engaging ring (30) has three protrusions (31) and each is selectively engaged the raised stub (22) of a corresponding one of the pawls (20) to inwardly poke the corresponding pawl (20) and make the pawls (20) disengage from the drive plate (40). The engaging ring (30) has multiple resilient plates (32) extending from outer periphery thereof and abutting against and inner periphery of the casing (60) to enhance the friction force between the engaging ring (30) and the casing (60) and make the engaging ring (30) accurately operated relative to the rotary plate (10).

The drive plate (40) has a recess (41) centrally defined therein for receiving the pawls (20). A series of ratchets (42) is peripherally formed in the recess, wherein the pawls (20) are selectively engaged to the series of ratchets (42) for driving the drive plate with the output structure (50). A driving structure (43) is centrally formed in the drive plate (40) for driving the output structure. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drive structure (43) is a cross-hole.

With reference to FIG. 3, the rotary plate (10) is rotated with the sun gear (101) when the planetary gear set (100) is operated. The engaging ring (30) is temporarily stable due to the friction force from the casing (60) when the rotary plate (10) starts to rotate. Consequently, the raised stub (22) of each of the pawls (20) is disengaged from the protrusion (31) of the engaging ring (30) and each pawl (20) is outwardly wiggled to engage to the ratchets (42) for driving the drive plate (40) with the output structure due to the centrifugal force form the rotating rotary plate (10). With reference to FIG. 4, the engaging ring (30) is continually rotated due to the inertia thereof when the force, acted on the planetary gear set (100) is disappeared. Consequently, each protrusion (31) of the continually rotating engaging ring (30) engaged to the corresponding raised stub (22) to inwardly poke the pawls (20) and make the pawls (20) disengage from the series of ratchets (42) of the drive plate (40). In addition, the drive plate (40) and the output structure (50) are continually rotated. The planetary gear set (100) is repeatedly operated and the pawls (20) is automatically engaged to/disengaged from the drive plate (40) for reducing noise during operating and lengthening the use life of the clutch for a rotary drive device.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A clutch for a rotary drive device, comprising: a rotary plate adapted to be synchronously rotated with a sun gear of a planetary gear set; at least one pawl pivotally mounted onto the rotary plate; an engaging ring sleeved on the rotary plate and surrounding the at least one pawl; a drive plate co-axially and rotatably mounted onto the rotary plate and abutting against the engaging ring, the drive plate adapted to drive an output structure when being rotated; and a casing provided for receiving the rotary plate, the at least one pawl, the engaging ring and the drive plate, wherein a friction force is formed between the engaging ring and the inner periphery of the casing; whereby: the rotary plate is rotated with the sun gear when the planetary gear set is driven and the pawl is outwardly wiggled to engage and drive the drive plate due to the centrifugal force from the rotating rotary plate; and the rotary plate is stopped, the engaging ring continually rotated relative to the rotary plate due to the inertia thereof and the continually rotating engaging ring inwardly pokes the at least one pawl to make the at least one pawl disengaged from the drive plate.
 2. The clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotary plate includes at least one pivot seat longitudinally extending therefrom, the at least one pivot seat having a hole longitudinally defined in a first thereof and a stopper longitudinally extending from a second end thereof, the hole and the stopper being arranged relative to a rotating direction of the rotary plate, at least one first stubs and second stub longitudinally extending from the rotary plate, wherein the first stub relating to the hole and the second stub relating to the stopper.
 3. The clutch as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one pawl includes a pivot and a raised stub respectively longitudinally extending from two opposite ends of a bottom thereof, the pivot pivotally received in the hole such that the at least one pawl is selectively wiggled due to the centrifugal force from the rotating rotary plate.
 4. The clutch as claimed in claim 3, wherein the engaging ring is selectively rotated relative to the rotary plate due to a friction force between the engaging ring and the inter periphery of the casing, the engaging ring having at least one protrusion inwardly extending from an inner periphery thereof and moved between the first stub and the second stub to inwardly push the pawl and make the pawl abut the stopper, the protrusions selectively engaged the raised stub of the pawls to inwardly poke the pawl and make the pawl disengage from the drive plate.
 5. The clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive plate includes a recess centrally defined therein for receiving the at least one pawl, a series of ratchets is peripherally formed in the recess, the at least one pawl selectively engaged to the series of ratchets for driving the drive plate.
 6. The clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engaging ring includes multiple resilient plates outwardly extending therefrom and abutting against the inner periphery of the casing to enhance the friction force between the engaging ring and the casing and make the engaging ring accurately operated relative to the rotary plate.
 7. The clutch as claimed in claim 5, wherein the engaging ring includes multiple resilient plates outwardly extending therefrom and abutting against the inner periphery of the casing to enhance the friction force between the engaging ring and the casing and make the engaging ring accurately operated relative to the rotary plate. 